“Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” : En semiotisk innehallsanalys av hur kroppsideal och objektifiering har aterspeglat sig i tryckt reklam.

This thesis examines how advertising campaigns have reflected and shaped female body ideals over time, between the years 2000 and 2024. Body ideals have always been a part of society, continuously evolving and often difficult to attain. The thin body ideal is frequently utilized in marketing to drive consumption, as they are strongly associated with attractiveness and serve as a source of credibility. The study draws on Objectification Theory, Social Representation Theory, and Adorno’s Theory of Pseudo-culture to analyze how advertising not only mirrors prevailing norms but also contributes to their creation and reinforcement. Using a semiotic content analysis, selected visual campaigns from Calvin Klein are examined to identify the reproduction and maintenance of body ideals in print advertising. We came to the conclusion that the thin body ideal remains highly dominant in today's marketing of underwear, and is often closely linked to the objectification of the female body. This suggests a continued reproduction and maintenance of the thin ideal within contemporary marketing.